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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28946871">And I don't know if I can do it</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPurple89/pseuds/ElectricPurple89'>ElectricPurple89</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arcane Ascension - Andrew Rowe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brothers, Corin needs a hug, Gen, Pre-Canon, little corin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:46:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,070</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28946871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPurple89/pseuds/ElectricPurple89</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tristan had been gone too long. Corin wasn't going to cry in front of his mother and father, he wasn't. Corin had followed them out to the gate when they thought it was almost time for Tristan to show, but he had hid behind a shrub when he saw his parents turn back. He didn't want to be seen.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Corin Cadence &amp; Tristan Cadence, Sera Cadence &amp; Corin Cadence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>And I don't know if I can do it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I have only read the first book in the Arcane Ascension series by Andrew Rowe but I enjoyed book 1 and I just couldn't get this idea out of my head. I hope this is okay and you like it.</p>
<p>Title comes from 'Losing My Religion' by R.E.M.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Corin knew it should take a while for Tristan to take his judgement, but not this long. Tristan had looked so good in his Judgement outfit when he'd left their home for the Tower. They'd shared a hug in Tristan's room before they'd had to go downstairs. </p>
<p>Sera had stayed with Corin in his room for a little while to watch Tristan leave from Corin's bedroom window before she got bored and had wanted to go train. She had tried to get him to come train with her, but he couldn't pull himself away from the window.</p>
<p>Tristan had been gone too long. Corin wasn't going to cry in front of his mother and father, he wasn't. Corin had followed them out to the gate when they thought it was almost time for Tristan to show, but he had hid behind a shrub when he saw his parents turn back. He didn't want to be seen. </p>
<p>Climbing the tree wasn't that hard now that he was older. He climbed as high as his limbs would go before he got tired and he slumped against the rough bark. He ran his fingers over the T.C. and the C.C. he and Tristan had carved into the tree when they were younger.</p>
<p>They had waited. Father and mother waited. Sera waited. He waited. Tristan hadn't come home. He was supposed to come home! Tristan was the better one. Tristan was the one who was supposed to take up the legacy. Corin was just the spare. Corin looked out towards the tower, trying to glimpse something. He knew Tristan would come home. He wrapped himself in his arms and kept watch. </p>
<p>He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knew, he was being pelted by rocks. He opened his eyes to see Sera standing under the tree looking up at him.</p>
<p>"Get down Corin" Sera yelled up to him. "It's too cold to wait up there!"</p>
<p>He nodded affirmatively and begrudgingly started to climb down. Sera helped him back to his room. They sat together on his window seat for a little while. </p>
<p>"Maybe he just met more than one monster and it's just taking longer than normal." Sera offered. </p>
<p>He nodded trying to stop his mind from going to all the worst places. </p>
<p>It was dark when Sera left in search of some food for him. He had missed dinner.</p>
<p>When she had gone, he walked over to his nightstand and pulled out the wooden sword that Tristan had made for him a few years before. He ran his fingers over the wood that Tristan had carved.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He woke up to bright light streaming into his room. He didn't remember getting into bed, so he figured Sera must have put him there. </p>
<p>Corin got up and dressed and was almost about to knock on Tristan's door when he remembered. Tristan hadn't come back yet.</p>
<p>The day went by in a haze. Father was in a fouler mood than usual, so Corin stayed as far away from him as possible.</p>
<p>It was late in the afternoon when the man arrived. He wasn't particularly remarkable, just one of the thousands of guards that were always posted at the tower for the Judgments. </p>
<p>The man handed his father a letter and Corin had never seen his father so furious as his father read. Mother just stood there stoically. </p>
<p>Once father had finished he handed the letter to mother and she read it. The man left in a hurry. </p>
<p>Corin didn't bother to go downstairs, he knew what the letter said. Tristan hadn't made it out of the Tower. </p>
<p>Sera came in not soon after the man had left, "Tristan never came out." </p>
<p>"Yeah, I figured that's what it said." Corin said softly.</p>
<p>Something must have happened, Corin thought, Tristan was the strong one. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His father was on the phone to the paper when Corin finally went downstairs to get something to eat.</p>
<p>"Yes, Tristan Cadence is dead." He heard his father say and he had to stop the fists forming in his hands. Tristan wasn't dead! He knew that his brother wasn't. </p>
<p>"Father is saying Tristan is dead?" He asked his mother when he saw her eating in the kitchen.</p>
<p>"Yes, that's what he's saying. Your brother is dead Corin." Mother ate another blueberry before continuing, "I'll be leaving in the morning. You should say your goodbyes to Sera." She went back to eating and reading her book.</p>
<p>Corin was stunned. They thought his brother was dead? He knew he didn't have the most loving parents in the kingdom, but surely they must know Tristan is alive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Mother said you're leaving?" Corin asked Sera as he walked into the training room.</p>
<p>Sera just nodded, "She doesn't want to be surrounded by your brother's things or your father and my mother is her retainer so I have to go with my mothers." Corin could see Sera's eyes start to glisten. </p>
<p>"He's not dead." was all Corin could say. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Later, after everyone had gone to bed, Corin walked silently across the hall to his brother's bedroom. The servants had already brought crates in to pack everything up on father's command, but that wouldn't be till tomorrow. </p>
<p>Tristan's trophies were all still on the bookcase, the books Tristan had been reading on the desk and the bed Tristan had slept in still made the Tristan always made it in the mornings. Everything was just as it was when Tristan left for the Tower.</p>
<p>Corin ran his fingers over the little knick knacks scattered around the room, little things that meant so much to Tristan and that only he was privy to. Corin looked at all of Tristan's first place ribbons on the cork board above the bed. Everything Tristan did he excelled. Corin never excelled, he was the disappointment. All he had were second and third place ribbons. </p>
<p>He walked over and climbed into Tristan's bed. Tristan's smell was still on the pillow and sheets. Corin breathed in the smell of his brother and tugged the sheets around him. As he looked around the room, he made a promise to his brother. </p>
<p>"I'm going to find you, Tristan." Corin whispered into the air, "I'm going to get stronger and better and when I go to the Tower, I'll find you. I promise." He fell asleep to the plan forming in his head.</p>
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